Gambling games and method with best play evaluation indicator

ABSTRACT

A method for indicating the relative odds of winning a gambling game is disclosed. Specifically, a gambling game with an initial configuration and a final configuration, in which the player may chose an action or actions to perform upon the initial configuration which influence the final configuration, displays an indicator when the player has chosen the best possible action or actions to perform upon the initial configuration. A refinement of such gambling games wherein the indicator is not displayed until after the player has committed to their choice of actions, so as to educate and entertain the player without assisting them in the instant choice, is also disclosed. An alternate version wherein an indicator which indicates that the player&#39;s choice was not the best play is also described.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide a method for indicating that a player of a gambling game has executed the best possible play of the gambling game.

A second object of the invention is to provide a gambling game which indicates that a player of the gambling game has executed a best possible play of the gambling game.

A third object of the invention is to provide a method for indicating that a player of a gambling game has executed a best possible play of the gambling game after the play has been executed to educate and encourage the player to play without altering their instant choice of play.

A fourth object of the invention is to provide a gambling game which indicates that a player of a gambling game has executed a best possible play of the gambling game after the play has been executed to educate and encourage the player to play without altering their instant choice of play.

A fifth object of the invention is to provide a gambling game which indicates that a player of the gambling game has not executed a best possible play of the gambling game.

A sixth object of the invention is to provide a gambling game which indicates that a player of the gambling game has not executed a best possible play of the gambling game after the play has been executed to educate and encourage the player to continue to play without altering their instant choice of play.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent in the following disclosure.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to gambling games which allow the player to make decisions which could potentially influence the outcome of a gambling game based on an initial configuration, which the player acts on, and which then is part of a final configuration. The initial combination is typically random, although it could also be a standard configuration or a member of a known and limited set of initial configurations. The gambling game is played on an electronic device which knows, either through storage of potential game outcomes or by real-time computation, what the best possible choice the player could make in relation to the initial configuration of the gambling game. When the player makes the best possible decision (the “best play”) to produce a favorable final configuration, the gambling game so indicates to educate and entertain the player. Depending on the configuration of the gambling game and the desire of the operator, the indication may be delayed until the player has committed to their action so as to avoid assisting the player in making their choices. The invention also allows the opposite information—that their play was not the best possible play—to be communicated to the player so as to educate and encourage without directly revealing the best possible play in any given configuration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The characteristic features of the invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims. The descriptions of the preferred embodiment refer to the preceding drawings:

FIG. 1 is an abstract representational view of the entire apparatus in an initial configuration.

FIG. 2 is an abstract representational view of the entire apparatus in a final configuration showing a best play indicator.

FIG. 3 is an abstract representational view of the entire apparatus in a final configuration showing a non-best play indicator.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The description of the preferred embodiment uses the invention in a gaming apparatus of the type usually referred to as a “slot machine.” It could be used in any desired gaming or entertainment device, including but not limited to such things as a video poker game, a video keno game, a combination gaming machine, or even a coin-operated or bartop amusement device. In this description, the term “pull” should be understood to be one event during which the player places a bet of some fixed size and a random outcome determines whether the player loses their bet or receives it or some multiple of it back in the form of a payout. Typically a pull is based upon a bet fixed in some relevant currency, but may also be set in abstract “credits,” which simply represent some fixed unit for placing bets in, and whose value may be fixed or variable in terms of eventual prize payouts in currency. The description assumes that each pull is related to a bet of some number of credits, but any equivalences (currency units instead of credits, “hands” of poker instead of pulls) may be substituted into the invention.

By referring to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the basic concept of the invention may easily be understood. FIG. 1 shows a game in an initial configuration, and FIG. 2 shows the game in a final configuration. Here, the configuration is that of the well-known game known as “tic-tac-toe,” or “naughts and crosses,” in which the objective is to form a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row of three of a given symbol while preventing an opponent from doing the same with a second symbol.

FIG. 1 shows a slot machine 10, with a display 14 displaying a gambling game 16 in which the object is to get three identical symbols in a row as a winning outcome. (The nature and rules of any individual gambling game, so long as it has at least one initial configuration, an opportunity for a player to act upon that configuration, and a final configuration which is influenced by the player's action or actions, are not relevant to the invention and are provided for illustration only.) In the particular configuration shown, the player is the side using the “X,” or “cross” symbol, and must place an “X” in a blank square such as upper right corner 18 or lower right corner 19. It is required that, whether the player's outcome depends upon chance or upon skill, or both, that there be a decision for a player to make which has some impact upon the final configuration and thus the ultimate outcome of the gambling game. Here, the machine has randomly produced a configuration with three “O”'s and two “X”' s. The player must chose a square upon which to place an “X.”

FIG. 2 shows slot machine 10 with the outcome of gambling game 16 visible on display 14, as well as best-play indicator 20, here a pictographic representation of an abstract smiling face. The player chose to insert an “X” in the upper right corner 18, which produced a configuration in which O cannot win on its next turn and in which “X” cannot fail to win on its next turn. (O cannot complete a row on its next turn, and no matter where O places its next symbol, X will be able to complete a row on its next turn.) This was the best possible play the player could make, and thus the best-play indicator 20 appears on display 14.

It should be noted that the embodiment described herein is extremely simple for purposes of ease of understanding. Another, more complex example of such a gambling game (not shown) would be the well known game of “draw poker,” in which players are dealt an initial hand of randomly selected cards and must chose to discard some, all, or no cards which are then replaced with additionally randomly selected cards, all with the goal of compiling the best possible hand according to predetermined rankings. The outcome of the game is largely determined by the randomly selected cards, but the player may, through intent, mistake, or carelessness, chose to discard part or all of a winning hand, or not to discard cards which are not helpful in obtaining a winning hand. Because the number of cards available is finite and the laws of poker are known and are susceptible to an analysis of all possible winning combinations, the “best play” for any given initial hand can also be known. Such solutions are well-known in the art and can be stored in the gambling game's memory by any convenient means for the purpose of comparing the best play for a given hand to the player's choice when given that hand and the chance to select some, all, or no cards for discarding. If the player's choice matches the best play, the indicator is displayed: if it is not, it is not. It is optional to have a “non-best play” indicator which is displayed if the player makes any choices which do not correspond to the best play. In another embodiment of the invention, instead of displaying a best play indicator when the best play is made, the gambling game might only display a non-best play indicator when the best play is not made. (See FIG. 3.)

FIG. 3 shows an alternate or optional embodiment in which the player, faced with the initial configuration shown in FIG. 1, chose to put an “X” in lower left corner 19 (see FIG. 1.) This has produced a configuration in which, while X could complete a row if given a chance, will allow O to place an “O” in upper right corner 18 and complete a row, thus winning the game. This was not the best play available to X and thus non-best play indicator 30 is displayed on display 14.

While the description above details the preferred and best mode(s) of practicing the invention, many other configurations and variations are possible. For example:

-   -   1) The invention need not be practiced with a commercial gaming         unit, but could used with a variety of coin-operated amusement         devices, home gaming systems, or any other appropriate system.     -   2) The invention could be incorporated into games with a         multiple number of human players and/or computer players and/or         random elements.     -   3) The symbols used could be actual words or numbers describing         with any given level of precision the percentage chance of         winning with any given act or actions by the player.     -   4) The best play indicator need not be a symbol, but could be a         sound, a flash of light, or some other indication perceptible to         the player.     -   5) The player could be given, either randomly, by some         predetermined method, or through success or failure in play, the         chance to see the best play or whether their play is the best         play, before they commit to their play choice even if normally         the gambling game only shows the best play or the best play         indicator after they have committed to their play choice.         Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined not         by the embodiment(s) illustrated, but by the claims below and         their equivalents. 

1) A method for playing a gambling game incorporating a best play indicator, comprising the steps of: A) Creating a plurality of individual gambling games each with an individual set of rules, a plurality of initial configurations and a plurality of final configurations, with a plurality of player choices which may be performed on the plurality of initial configurations, the plurality of player choices contributing to the selection of an individual final configuration from the plurality of final configurations, wherein the plurality of final configurations are ranked according to a predetermined ranking system, the plurality of individual gambling games being playable on a gaming device with a display; B) Evaluating the plurality of individual gambling games and the plurality of initial configurations associated with each individual gambling game to determine the best play for each individual initial configuration, wherein the best play is an individual player choice which produces the highest likelihood of the individual final configuration resulting from application of the individual set of rules to the individual initial configuration having the highest possible ranking under the predetermined ranking system; C) Providing a player an individual initial configuration of one of the plurality of gambling games; D) Allowing the player to implement the individual player choice upon the individual initial configuration; E) Determining the individual final configuration based upon the individual initial configuration and the individual player choice; F) Comparing the individual player choice to the best play corresponding to the individual initial configuration, and; G) Displaying a best play indicator on the display if the individual player choice is equivalent to the best play. 2) A method for playing a gambling game incorporating a best play indicator, comprising the steps of: A) Creating a plurality of individual gambling games each with an individual set of rules, a plurality of initial configurations and a plurality of final configurations, with a plurality of player choices which may be performed on the plurality of initial configurations, the plurality of player choices contributing to the selection of an individual final configuration from the plurality of final configurations, wherein the plurality of final configurations are ranked according to a predetermined ranking system, the plurality of individual gambling games being playable on a gaming device with a display; B) Evaluating the plurality of individual gambling games and the plurality of initial configurations associated with each individual gambling game to determine the best play for each individual initial configuration, wherein the best play is an individual player choice which produces the highest likelihood of the individual final configuration resulting from application of the individual set of rules to the individual initial configuration having the highest possible ranking under the predetermined ranking system; C) Providing a player an individual initial configuration of one of the plurality of gambling games; D) Allowing the player to implement the individual player choice upon the individual initial configuration; E) Determining the individual final configuration based upon the individual initial configuration and the individual player choice; F) Comparing the individual player choice to the best play corresponding to the individual initial configuration, and; G) Displaying a non-best play indicator on the display if the individual player choice is not equivalent to the best play. 3) A gambling game having a best play indicator, comprising: A) A gaming device which can play a plurality of individual gambling games, each individual gambling game having a defined plurality of initial configurations and a defined plurality of final configurations; B) A display, operatively connected to the gaming device, which can display the plurality of individual gambling games and the initial configuration and the final configuration of a single individual gambling game; C) A control which allows a player to take a plurality of actions upon the initial configuration of the single individual gambling game, the plurality of actions having an effect on the final configuration of the single individual gambling game, and; D) A best play indicator which is displayed on the display when the plurality of actions match a predetermined plurality of actions which have the highest likelihood of producing the final configuration of the single individual gambling game which corresponds to a best possible final configuration of the single individual gambling game. 4) A gambling game as in claim 3, wherein the best play indicator is not displayed until the player has committed the plurality of actions and they may not be changed by the player. 5) A gambling game as in claim 3, wherein the best play indicator is displayed when the player has taken some or all of the plurality of actions but before the player is no longer allowed to change some or all of the plurality of actions or commit additional actions. 6) A method of playing a gambling game as in claim 1, wherein the best play indicator is not displayed until the player has committed the plurality of actions and they may not be changed by the player. 7) A method of playing a gambling game as in claim 1, wherein the best play indicator is displayed when the player has taken some or all of the plurality of actions but before the player is no longer allowed to change some or all of the plurality of actions or commit additional actions. 8) A method of playing a gambling game as in claim 2, wherein the non-best play indicator is not displayed until the player has committed the plurality of actions and they may not be changed by the player. 9) A method of playing a gambling game as in claim 2, wherein the non-best play indicator is displayed when the player has taken some or all of the plurality of actions but before the player is no longer allowed to change some or all of the plurality of actions or commit additional actions. 10) A gambling game having a best play indicator, comprising: A) A gaming device which can play a plurality of individual gambling games, each individual gambling game having a defined plurality of initial configurations and a defined plurality of final configurations; B) A display, operatively connected to the gaming device, which can display the plurality of individual gambling games and the initial configuration and the final configuration of a single individual gambling game; C) A control which allows a player to take a plurality of actions upon the initial configuration of the single individual gambling game, the plurality of actions having an effect on the final configuration of the single individual gambling game, and; D) A non-best play indicator which is displayed on the display when the plurality of actions do not match a predetermined plurality of actions which have the highest likelihood of producing the final configuration of the single individual gambling game which corresponds to a best possible final configuration of the single individual gambling game. 11) A gambling game as in claim 10, wherein the best play indicator is not displayed until the player has committed the plurality of actions and they may not be changed by the player. 12) A gambling game as in claim 10, wherein the best play indicator is displayed when the player has taken some or all of the plurality of actions but before the player is no longer allowed to change some or all of the plurality of actions or commit additional actions. 